AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1404, 26 January 1899, Page 28

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Mr 11. Congrave Evans, editor of “ Quiz,” a satirical Adelaide publication, died at Adelaide at the age of 88 years. Deceased was for many years leader -of tho “Advertiser” literary staff. Some of his dramati'c works were produced on the stago with success. Ho was the son of the late Maud Jean Franc, an Australian novelist of repute. The body of a man was found in Sydney harbour, a stone tied in a handkerchief being attached to a cord round the neck. The stone weighed 141 b, and the case was evidently one of determined suicide. Deceased was subsequently identified as Edward Bailey, a wharf labourer. A verdict of suicide while suffering from the effects of heavy drinking was returned. A very sensational incident in connection with a pitiable case occurred at the Williamstown Police Court during an application to commit a. child to the care of the Department for Neglected Children. Mrs Marria, wife of an invalid fisherman, applied to the Bench to have her infant at arms handed over to the custody of the State, and the application was supported by the police, who stated that the family was in a state of destitution. While the Magistrates were adjudicating it was discovered that tho child was dead. It had died in its mother’s arms as she stood in Court. A certificate as to the cause of death was afterwards given by a medical man, and the body of the infant was interred during the day. A telegram from Millthorpe states that a comet was observed in the south-eastern sky on the 3rd January, immediately above the moon at rising. The tail, which was very distinct, was about 10. in length. Mr J. 11. Angas has given the Adult Deaf and Dumb Mission, Adelaide, free use for a series of years of a farm at Garafield of 280 acres, with a view to its being vested in trustees as a Home of Industry for aged infirm blind and deaf mutes for all time when he is satisfied with the basis of operations and settlement. The Salvation Army has purchased for ,£4500 the property at Adelaide which for 28 years has been used for the Bushman’s Club. The premises are to be re-opened by the army as an industrial and prisongate brigade home. A new engine for the Sydney Fire Brigade is remarkable for its great power, and was constructed by Messrs Shand, Mason and Co. Referring to the contrivance, a London correspondent said:—“l suppose it may now be taken that Sydney is almost the best ‘fire-engined’ city in the world; in fact, as far as engine-power is concerned, I am informed by experts that this is positively the case. The new engine of course does not compete in size with the ‘ Fire King ’ which was sent out by the same firm some years ago, but in its internal construction there is some notable modifications. Its normal capacity is GOO gallons per minute, but in the course of the test to which it was subjected this quantity was considerably exceeded. It has been found that the engine will throw to a measured height of 230 ft—that is to say, it would easily clear the Monument of London with a good many feet to spare. The Engineer-in-Cliief recently furnished an exhaustive report referring to the supply of water for high-level districts in Adelaide, including Mitcham, Burnside and Magill. Mr Monerieff ha 3 been instructed to proceed with the undertaking at an estimated expenditure of from £20,000 to £30,000. The two salient features of Mr Superintendent Webb’s first report on the year s work of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Sydney are the necessity of a Building Act, and tlie want of appliances for dealing with fires aboard ship. Quite lately the eastern suburbs began to agitate for a Building Bill which, if it is enacted, will be useiul in restricting the area of future rookeries. As to rookeries in existence, the Mayor occasionally makes solemn visitation and pronounces sentence upon the worst of-

fenders, but it is clear the process is not commensurate with the evil, even in the city, and beyond the civic boundaries there is no authority to deal with the most dangerous tenements, mere matchboxes liable to catch any moment and sweep away sound houses in the common destruction.

In the Supreme Court, jHobart, Mr Justice Clark gave judgement on an appeal by the Mount Lyell Company against the assessment of the tax payable upon dividends paid in the years 1837 and 1838. The pleas were that the 1837 assessment ought to be reduced by £2216, because that amount was included in tlie sum on which the company had previously paid income tax; secondly, that the total income received during 1837 and 1898 was not equal to one-half the cash contributed by the shareholders to the capital expenditure of the company, and, therefore, the tax payable ought to be assessed upon only cne-lialf of the dividends. His Honor overruled both objections. The returns from the Sydney Hospital for the year ended December 31, 18.18, show that tho total number of in-patients treated during the year was 3GIB, and the total number of patients remaining in the institution on December 31 was 294. The number of out-patients treated during the year is returned at 06 109, and tlie number of casualties at 1D,591. The number of in-patients was slightly less than in the, previous year, the figures for 1837 being 3819, but there were over 3000 more outpatients treated during 1838, the total number for 1837 being 82,(00 as against a total of 85,700 for the year just closed.

Grim drought has been responsible for another death near Bourke. A Melbourne resident named Kirby diou from thirst on Urisino station, in the Faroe district. A note was found on deceased’s billy can, which read as follows —“ f perished from want of water; leaving No. 2 bore, Urisino, making for No. 3 bore, Salisbury Down. Walter Kirby, Baltic street, North Melbourne.” The first sod of the Ulvcrstone Burnie Railway extension, Tasmania, was turned by Lady Braddon in the presence of a large assemblage. Dr A. C. Haddon, Dr Seligmam: and Mr S. H. Ray, members or the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition, arrive 1 in Hongkong in December, on thvr way from Torres Straits to Borneo. The party left England early in March, and spent six months in Torres Straits and New Guinea, where thev were able to accomplish a great deal of interesting woik leaking large ethnological collections and taking large numbers of photograph? The Attornev-Gencral of New South Wales (Mr J. 11. Want.) and Mrs Want left Sydney by the Orient Company’s steamer Orotava for a trip to Egypt. It is understood that Mr Want’s marriage took place some time ago; but it was of a private character, only his personal friends being aware of it. At the Police Court, Adelaide, William Cosgrove, theatrical manager, was sued by Elsie Landers for £lO 10s, being the balance of wages due in connection with an engagement to play a season at the Theatre Royal. John Cosgrove explained that his brother in Melbourne had stated in evidence that plaintiff went to Adelaide on the terms of £4 per week, and if the season proved successful £5. Some of the plaintiff’s own pieces were to be played and she was to take the star parts, but the engagement was not carried out. John Cosgrove said the plaintiff played only small parts, and the season was not a financial success. The Court gave a verdict for the amount claimed, with £2 2s costs.

Mr Edwin Kelly, long identified with

comic opera in these colonies, who died in Adelaide, was buried in the same grave es his old friend, the late W. 11. Leake. A monument erected by Mr Williamson marks the spot. Mr Leake will be remembered as an American who came to Australia some 20 years ago to “ star ' m Bartley Campbell’s “ My Partner,” and remained, waking Australia liis home until tlie end. In consequence of the abundant hardest in the eastern districts of Western Australia, and the fact that the mills can only buy up to their grinding capacity, there was a slump at Perth in the ~u'ice of wheat, which fell to 2s lOd. The Minister for Lands expressed the opinion that requirements were 830,000 bushels of wheat for flour and 250,000 bushels for seed. He thought it was questionable whether the colony had that quantity, and advised those able to hold to do so. The absence of reliable statistics had prevented a proper calculation being made of the extent of the yield. The work of preparing plans for the n cw offices for the Lands Department iu Brisbane is being pushed on as expeditiously as possible, but it is not expected the department will be in a position to invite tenders for the work of erection for at least six months. Tlie new offices are to be erected on the site on which the buildings occupied by the Prisons Department and the United Service Institution now stand. The Brisbane Municipal Council arrived at a settlement with the executors of tlie contractor for the wood-paving in connection with a claim of £17,954 for extras. An offer by the Council of £7350 was accepted.